Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Kristine Bjerve Gutzkow, Birgitte Lindeman, Trygve Danielsen
An overview
23.06.2011
Division of Environmental medicine
Department of Chemicals and Radiation
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH in Oslo and Bergen)
More than 1000 employees
23.06.2011
Aims of the NIPH
• Provide evidence based advice to the government and to the public at large
• Prevention of disease through– Health surveillance– Research– Advice and services
23.06.2011
Main areas
– Infectious disease control
– Environmental medicine
– Epidemiology of non-communicable diseases
– Mental health
– Forensic medicine and drug abuse research
23.06.2011
Environmental Medicine
We provide expert knowledge of environmental medicine:
– prevent disease and health injuries caused by environmental toxicants and other hazardous factors in the environment
– perform research and surveillance on environmental factors
– food and water safety, research on air pollution, noise pollution. Close collaboration with other relevant institutes and authorities
23.06.2011
Department of Chemicals and Radiation (MIKS)
• Experience in regulation of chemicals (at National and European levels)
• Identification of chemicals posing threats to humans and/or the environment
• Persistent chemicals
• Vision: No use of potentially harmful chemicals
• Classification and labelling of chemicals and products
Our research interest
• Chemical and radiation threats to fertility and offspringWe are active in research on agents and mechanisms relevant for:
–Genotoxicity and mutagenicity
–Reprotoxicity – male fertility and offspring health
–Neurodevelopment
–Implications of the exposome – cocktail effect
Close collaboration with our Directorate for the Environment (MDir)
Norway is not a full member of EU! However, as an associate member we have adopted most of EU’s regulations of chemicals•Pesticides•REACH•Biocide Directive
Safe use of chemicals – public health issues
• Population studies: – Used to monitor possible health problems when they
have occurred– Associations are found, but the existence of
causation is most often not known
• Experimental studies (in vivo and in vitro)– Provide mechanistic information– Essential for testing new substances, new products,
or new treatments (drugs)
Thank you!